How Much Does Gun Violence Cost?

Health economist Ted Miller says to understand the real cost of gun violence, you must factor in the value of human life. According to Miller, the monetary cost of gun violence in Georgia in 2012 was more than $9 billion. He breaks down the cost of shootings.

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Georgia is no stranger to the tragedy of gun violence. On a November day in 2012, Atlanta native Jordan Davis was shot and killed at a Jacksonville, Florida gas station. The African-American teen was unarmed when a white man named Michael Dunn shot him. Dunn was reportedly angered by the music Davis and his friends were playing in their car. Michael Dunn drew a life sentence for that murder. During the trial, Dunn told the judge he may have saved someone's life by killing Jordan Davis.

The Peach State is a leading exporter of illegal firearms. That’s largely due to the I-95 corridor, where guns flow from Georgia to other parts of the country with stricter gun laws. This route’s nicknamed the Iron Pipeline. Many of the illegal weapons end up in New York City. We talk about this with BuzzFeed News National Editor Tina Susman and New York City’s Public Advocate, Tish James.

Georgia’s hunting season for firearms opened October 21. GPB’s Emily Cureton joined a father and son hunting deer together opening weekend. She sends us this audio postcard from the woods of Monroe County.

Amid the barrage of news stories about gun violence, there are the real people whose lives are torn apart by tragedy. Semaj Clark, 20, is one of them. Two years ago, he was paralyzed after being shot in Savannah. Now, he’s confined to a wheelchair. Before becoming a vocal anti-gun violence advocate, Semaj was involved in gang activity. He says the media have a certain responsibility when they cover shootings.